‘Jupiter,’ cried Maggie. ‘Why don’t you listen to me? This is not our fight. We don’t even know who is on the right side. For all you know we could be helping the Nazis fight the Allies.’

‘You’re right. I don’t know,’ said Jupiter. ‘But you were right that we could not let those people fall, no matter how mad they had acted.’

‘You can’t help everyone. You have to look out for yourself. We’re trapped now.’

But Berg and Gan’s men hacked at the ropes that had looped around The Jupiter.

‘I will get you to that portal,’ Jupiter said. “Sit tight.’

‘I sure does not seem like it,’ Maggie shouted.

‘Where’s Tamm?’ Jupiter stood and scooted to the bow to remove a cut rope that still held them tight. ‘Did he fall?’

‘No. The idiot jumped onto the deck of the skyfort after Berg.’

The sudden cries of manisaurs in battle rose all around. Berg and Gan’s soldiers stood on the deck of the Air Lord’s Skyfort in defense of The Jupiter. Their opponents might not be the trained lankhaka — marines that had already dropped from the skyfort into the attack, but the nalama — sailors knew how to fight, and they outnumbered the attacking mountain warriors and Tamm.

‘I really need to get a tarusha blade. Even if I don’t want to fight,’ Jupiter said. ‘It could at least help me cut us free.’

‘Jupiter,’ screamed Maggie. ‘Look out.’

He saw where she pointed. A skyship’s bow aimed directly at the side of the Air Lord’s skyfort, and The Jupiter lay right where it would hit.

‘Maggie. Hold on, tight as you can. Breeze. Stop the kheel. Now.’

Jupiter whipped the mainsheet around his waist and tied it off in a looped bowline knot. He leapt for Maggie where she huddled next to the mast, holding onto the hull but not around a rope.

His guts lurched as The Jupiter fell, he caught Maggie up in a hug as her grip ripped free of the hull. Breeze crashed into them both, so all three fell free as the bow of the skyship smashed into the skyfort’s hull. Debris rained down but hit the outrigger platform, as they swung under The Jupiter. Pain erupted around his waist and chest when the rope pulled them tight and arrested their fall.

Jupiter looked up. The outrigger still swung from a rope entangled in the hull of the skyfort and skyship.

The two vessels ground together, the groans of distressed timbers matches by the cries of manisaurs in battle.

The three swung back and forth, the bow tilted up. Breeze’s strong arms bound them all together. His arm somehow wrapped around Maggie and held onto the mainsheet rope. The strong musk from his fur-feathers mixed with the human smell of unwashed bodies, and Maggie’s all too close scent. He could feel her gasping breaths.

‘Maggs? You okay.’

‘Yes. If you call being dangled from a rope like a sack of potatoes.

‘Have you got hold of the rope?’

‘No. You saved me, and Breeze holds me. I can scarcely breath.’

‘Breeze. Hold Maggie tight.

Tight… I will… Hold fast…

‘Thanks for saving me Jupiter, Breeze.’

‘Yeah well,’ said Jupiter. His mouth half full of hair and fur feathers. ‘Somehow we have to get up to The Jupiter. Get the kheel spinning, then cut free.’

Jupiter released one hand from the rope. Then realised the loop he had made around his waist held them all. The other hand pulled Maggie tight to his side around her waist.

‘Breeze. We have to tie Maggie on somehow. Can you hold us together while I bring my hand out.’

A manisaur fell screaming past them as the battle on deck continued.

‘Jupiter…’

‘Yeah I know. I’m terrified too.’

Tight… Maggie… Hold fast…

‘Okay. Slowly now.’ Jupiter brought his free hand around Maggie, then wriggled his other arm and hand free from between Breeze and Maggie. The two now hung together separate from him.

He brought his two hands together and reached down for the rest of the mainsheet that dangled below him. He drew it up.

‘Maggs. I’m going to tie you on too. So Breeze can release you.’

‘Be careful.’

Jupiter slipped one end to one side of Maggie, and pushed his arm back through between them under Breeze.

‘Okay. Grab the rope and pass it to my other hand.

Once he had the end he pulled it tight up around Maggie’s arms and tied it off to the mainsheet. Then he took hold of Maggie again.

‘Breeze. Release your grip.’

He felt Maggie freeze up but Breeze swung out on one arm, and then pulled himself up the rope to sit above them.

Jupiter relaxed his hold on Maggie and they both sighed. Maggie’s breath brushed his face and he looked into her eyes just centimeters away.

’Sorry Maggie. I didn’t mean for all this to happen.’

‘I know. You’re a good guy. But sometimes you’re too good. There is no point in helping others unless you are in a good position yourself.’

‘You mean like now? I was tied on first. Then I could help you.’

Maggie laughed. ‘I guess.’

‘Breeze. Get up to the kheel…’

‘How are we going to get out of this?’

The skyships moaned louder, and another crash came. The Jupiter shuddered then, and the rope holding her snapped free. They fell in a swooping motion as The Jupiter swung on the remaining ropes.

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‘Breeze. Get her steady,’ shouted Jupiter. ‘Another skyship has struck the other side of the skyfort.’

But Breeze had already got to the deck and the Jupiter steadied. But the uneven weight could not right her.

The end of a rope fell down and hit Jupiter a glancing blow. He looked up to see Breeze grin over the side, the blue glowing kheel shimmered as it spun behind him.

‘I’m no manisaur, or imp,’ said Jupiter. ‘But I think he wants me to climb that rope.’

‘Don’t do it,’ said Maggie. ‘You’ll fall.’

‘No choice.’

‘Wait. Tie me to the tow rope. That will free you to climb the mainsheet. If you fall them that will stop you…’

Jupiter looked down and immediately wished he hadn’t. Fighting between the two armies raged far below. His gut clenched.

‘Besides. If you cut yourself free to climb you’ll ruin the rope. How will we sail if you have to destroy the only rope you have that controls the sail?’

Maggie transferred to the towrope, Jupiter tied her one with a bowline knot, then released her from his rope. She swung away from Jupiter. He took up the rope in his hands and feet and wormed his way up to the deck where Breeze pulled him onboard. The canted angle of the outrigger made it hard to get around, so he kept the mainsheet around his chest.

Just in case.

He and Breeze hauled Maggie up, though she had made it halfway up the rope on her own.

Then Breeze spun the kheel up, and they tried to right the angles. They rose a little so Jupiter could begin to untangle the restraining ropes, that had both caught them, and saved them.

As Jupiter climbed towards the bow, the outrigger rose with a bump. Then another one. And another. He looked up.

Someone still had a line around The Jupiter. Now they hauled the outrigger up towards the skyfort deck like a caught fish.

‘Keep the kheel spinning Breeze,’ said Jupiter. ‘I’ll see if I can get rid of the last of these tangling ropes.’

The Jupiter raised to the level of the skyship’s deck. A group of manisaurs eyed him with curiousity and not enmity. Then he recognized their captain.

‘Dahk!’ Jupiter exclaimed. He did not know what to think of the manisaur captain. Vishvasalana — Faithful Waters had been a junior office on the skyship at Black Spire that had taken Qhawana and would have taken Berg. He had chased Jupiter from the clan house on Zenska, but had then called himself a turned-blade, but by conscience. He had somehow been able to hide his support for the rebel cause while sailing for the Air Lord.

‘I catch you again Vam’lama Upariqami. That you escaped the Air Lord’s hunt, and still fly free, is noteworthy indeed.’

‘Except, we’re not free are we?’ said Jupiter. ‘Who’s side are you on?’

‘I am for your freedom, and that of all humans. I do not like this turn that has exiled so many of your race from the cities. The imperial navy says they bring the fight to all blackbirders, and yet I see skyships flown by the blackguards. How can the blackbirders light their zharaqsa except by Imperial flightworks?’

Dhak’s crew pulled The Jupiter onto the deck of the skyship The Nakhevaqum — Flight-Dream, and settled her to the deck. Breeze bounced up and down excited to meet Dhak again, but his crew stepped back muttering about fate and the evil ill luck of imps.

‘And I owe you doubly,’ said Dhak. ‘For we cut out this skyship from the navy vanukam during the storm at Zenska, and the Air Lord made me captain. I won her because you aided me, then did not betray me to the Air Lord, by deed or by manner. I now will help you in turn.’

‘Stop your chatter,’ said Maggie. ‘We’ve got help Tamm.

‘And Berg,’ said Peter. He grinned. It did not seem right to abandon Tamm. ‘We have to keep the whanau together.’

Dhak led his troupe of lankhaka as they swung, climbed and leapt onto the deck of the Air Lord’s skyfort Hantiviqu.

Berg’s mountain klaed warriors had been pressed backs to the railing behind Berg and Tamm who stood back to back facing their enemy. The huge crew of the skyfort had been too much even for Berg’s bravado and Tamm’s bravery.

When Dhak’s lankhaka came up behind them Jupiter saw their auras flash in despair as the odds failed them totally.

But Tamm’s aura sparked with enthusiasm.

‘Vishvasalana,’ he cried out. ‘Jupiter and Maggie.’ He turned to the surrounding sailors and if manisaurs could grin Jupiter knew that’s what he did.

The Skyfort’s sailors stepped back as Dhak’s marines formed up along the edge of the deck. Beyond the circle of sailors, just outside the bridge and lit only by some dim glowglobe, Jupiter saw the Air Lord. At his side stood his flag captain and Zaj.

Berg and Tamm turned until they stood shoulder to shoulder and together let out a piercing battle cry that Dhak’s lankhaka echoed. Then they rushed the sailors.

‘I think we had better let the soldiers do their thing,’ said Maggie.

‘Into the Jupiter,’ said Jupiter. Breeze had already taken up his place at the kheel, and Maggie joined him before the mast.

Jupiter stood on the railing and took stock of the fighting. Then with a battle cry of his own, he jumped to the deck, picked up a fallen tarusha blade, and raised it just as a sailor swung to strike him.

Jupiter pushed forward, and his weight shoved the sailor back, they tripped and sprawled on the deck his weapon clattering away, their two thumbed hands held out to ward him off. In their aura Jupiter saw the flashes of resignation and the knowledge of death. The manisaur closed their eyes. Jupiter raised his blade and pulled the manisaur to their feet in one move. The frightened sailor stared deep into Jupiter’s eyes.

In death you pass on

Now rise from that deep

And let your knife sleep

For peace rules your dawn

‘Yes Vam’lama,’ said the sailor. ‘I go.’ And the sailor spun away and into the darkness.

Jupiter shook his head. ‘Where the heck did that come from?’ But he had no time to think as a mountain klaedsman rushed to his side.

‘Vam’lama Liruq, you risk too much,’ the manisaur said. ‘I stand with you.’

And before Jupiter had time to wonder how the manisaur knew that name a squad of warriors had formed around him and battled their way into the thick of the fighting with Jupiter protected in the middle.

Berg and Tamm still fought together. Dhak’s men had got behind the Air Lord and now all pressed towards him.

Jupiter felt the Air Lord’s eye on him and glared back.

‘No so much fun being the hunted now is it?’ Jupiter shouted and he took a step closer.

But the cries and screams of the battling manisaurs drowned his words out in the chaos of the most fearsome screeches and war cries.

‘For Vam’lama Liruq,’ his squad screamed and they stepped into close fighting with the Air Lord’s sailors. Another force swung down from the rigging. Jupiter knew those creatures anywhere.

‘Blackbirders,’ he shouted.

The cry of nezhnakhevo, rose up and the pattern of fighting changed again. The blackbirders moved fast, and had more power in their thrusts. They struck to kill, where even the fiercest of Dhak’s men had fought to disarm or disable the crew.

They surround the Air Lord, and drew him away. Tamm took the opportunity and swooped in to get a hold of Zaj, he kicked out at the captain, and sent him flying backwards amongst the legs of the blackbirders. And without a thought one stuck out with their sword and cut down the captain.

‘Retreat, retreat, retreat,’ went up the cry and the mass of soldiers, and mountain klaed warriors, dragged Jupiter, and Berg back to Dhak’s skyship.

Tamm stood with Zaj in his grip. She struggled but when faced with the surrounding fighters she settled, but her aura flashed frustration and defiance.

Jupiter came close to her and gazed at her face. He recognized her, but her aura had changed, twisted and erratic. Under his inspection she struggled against Tamm two thumbed grip, but he gave a low warble and stilled her.

‘Zaj, what did they do to you?’ said Jupiter. ‘Are you even the same person?’

‘Oh, she’s the same person,’ said Berg as he came up beside Jupiter. He smelled an intense musky spiciness that reminded him of zhavaqiko — spiced drink for some reason.

Berg’s shoulder brushed Jupiter’s and he felt a renewed sense of camaraderie from the manisaur. ’It’s her mind within that is chained, imprisoned, and bound by the Aelqemist’s potion.’

‘Can she come back?’ Jupiter said.

‘I do not know. I can but try.’

‘Why is it so important?’ said Jupiter. ‘Why is she so important?’

‘She’s my daughter,’ said Berg. ‘Even as the Aelqemist is her mother.’